Garden landscaping rocks
8 Types of Landscaping Rocks and How to Choose One
By
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. He was in the nursery business for over a decade, working with a large variety of plants. David has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and national U.S. magazines, such as Woman's World and American Way.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Published on 06/21/22
Reviewed by
Kathleen Miller
Reviewed by Kathleen Miller
Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
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Landscaping rock (stone) is a popular and time-tested hardscape material used to bring out the beauty of plants, construct useful landscape features, add definition or an accent to your property, and effectively manage problem areas. It is durable, natural, and requires no maintenance. What may be most impressive is its versatility. However, along with that versatility comes a diversity that may be challenging for new homeowners to sift through: Some projects call for small landscaping rock, others for medium-sized stones, and still others for boulders. Even within those broad categories, there are different products suited to different needs. That's why we’ll explore, below, eight different types of landscaping rock and the factors you should consider in choosing the right one for your yard.
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01 of 08
Crushed Stone
Tolga TEZCAN/Getty Images
Best for: Mulch
While most types of mulch are organic and decompose over time, crushed stone is an inorganic type.
It comes from stone quarries. The stone (commonly granite) passes through a crushing machine. The end result is an aggregate of small (about 1 inch) stones with an angular shape. Although it has other uses (such as underlayment for patios), crushed stone is especially useful in mulching around certain types of plants and in creating a patch of yard where dogs will be kept. Dogs can destroy a lawn. In contrast with grass, crushed stone offers a low-maintenance option that minimizes the mess dogs make through digging, urination, and wear and tear.
As a mulch in planting beds, crushed stone works better in some instances than others. In a sunny area, stone gets hot in the summer. This heat retention may bother some annuals and perennials. Trees and shrubs are generally tough enough that they are not bothered. To be on the safe side, use crushed stone only around drought-resistant plants, and do not apply it directly up against your plants.
Crushed stone is available at stone yards and can also be ordered through major home improvement centers; you'll probably need to have it delivered (unless you own a truck).
It costs more than most other types of mulch, but you recoup your expense over time because of its durability.Pros
More durable than most mulches
Permits water and oxygen to penetrate into soil
Some find appearance superior around trees, shrubs, cacti, and succulents
Cons
Non-organic: releases no nutrients
Isn't as soft to walk on as wood or straw mulch
Leaves sink between the stones, break down, and become soil weeds can sprout in
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02 of 08
Black Polished Pebbles
Micha Pawlitzki/Getty Images
Best for: Accents in water features
Black polished pebbles are highly ornamental and widely available at home improvement centers. A benefit here, unlike with crushed stone, is that you can buy them by the bag. This puts you in better control as a DIY'er. If you don't need many of them, this also keeps the cost down somewhat, although they are more expensive than similar natural beach pebbles.
To create a contrast, mix white marble pebbles with your black polished pebbles. They go by various other names, including black polished river rock and black polished beach pebbles
Black polished pebbles are quartzite stones that have been tumble-polished to give them their shine. They have a wide variety of landscaping uses other than as accents in water features, including as:
- Mulch to edge walkways, planting beds, and patios
- Filler in between plants in container gardens
- A dark element for contrast with lighter rocks in a dry creek bed
You can also buy natural beach pebbles. You might regard them as a better option because they're cheaper, although they lack the shine that people value in black polished pebbles (whose shine also makes them look darker). Moreover, the shine of the polished stones does fade over time, especially when subjected to full sun.
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03 of 08
Gemma Clark/Getty Images
Best for: Dry creek beds
"River rocks" refers not to a geological classification but to a place of origin.
Gathered from river beds, these stones have been rounded and smoothed by nature. They come in all sizes, from gravel to boulders. In fact, they look best in such a mix. You can order them online from home improvement centers. River rocks are tailor-made for dry creek beds, where, aesthetically, the aim is to create a natural-looking landscape feature. Besides appearance, though, dry creek beds have a practical function:
If you have a hill on your land where excess water flows or collects, water may pool in areas where you don't want it to, such as near a house. You can address this drainage problem with a dry creek bed. When runoff gets bad, excess surface water is channeled down the dry creek bed to a place where it will be less problematic.
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04 of 08
Lava Rocks
MonaMakela/Getty Images
Best for: Accents in rock gardens
Like black polished pebbles, you can buy lava rocks in bags at home improvement centers at a reasonable price.
While red is a popular color, they also come in black. Choose your color based on your design needs. Lava rocks can work well in rock gardens as accents. If possible, look for a color match with your house or another landscape feature. Your color selection may even be influenced by the plant material in your rock garden. Red lava rocks look good with hen-and-chicks plants (Sempervivum tectorum) when they turn red, for example, while white flowers contrast nicely with black lava rocks. Lava rocks are also well-suited to fire pits.
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05 of 08
Flagstone
David BeaulieuBest for: Walkways and patios
Flagstone is sedimentary rock of various types (sandstone, slate, etc.) that has been quarried and sold in flat slabs. Its flatness and durability readily suggest its use as a paving stone upon which people walk in walkways and patios.
For informal walkways, wood chips and other materials may be fine; but, for formal walkways, it's hard to beat flagstone.
With its irregular shapes, it's more interesting to look at than brick or concrete pavers. Generally, a mix of colors looks best. Alternatively, if you are trying to match or complement your house color, you can build a flagstone walkway or patio in one color. You can buy flagstone at stone yards and through some home improvement centers. While flagstone is not expensive compared to concrete pavers, the labor involved in installing it is greater. So install yourself if you can. Building a flagstone walkway is well within the skill set of the average DIY'er.
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06 of 08
Cobblestone
Selene Andriolo/Getty Images
Best for: Driveway aprons
Cobblestones exude a traditional charm that makes them irresistible for some people. A quarry product, cobblestones (or "Belgian blocks") come from basalt, limestone, or, especially, granite that has been cut into a rectangular shape.
A popular use for them is in driveway aprons.
This is particularly popular with people who like the look of cobblestone pavers but can't afford to build a whole cobblestone driveway. If you're doing the job yourself, you can pick up cobblestones at a stone yard.The most durable of the pavers, the drawbacks of cobblestones are cost and roughness of surface: If you're having them installed, they cost $40 to $70 per square foot, and their exterior is just uneven enough to make snow removal difficult.
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07 of 08
KenWiedemann/Getty Images
Best for: Stone walls, including stone retaining walls
As with river rocks, "fieldstone" refers not to a geological classification but to the place this type of rock originally called home. Farmers plowing their fields in rocky country encountered a multitude of stones. To get them out of the way, they would pile them up somewhere away from where they'd be growing crops. As the need arose, they might harvest rocks from the pile to build a wall out of this "fieldstone.
" The stone wall is one of the oldest uses of stone. Stone walls come in many styles. The most basic distinction is between mortared and mortarless walls. But a variety of rocks can also be used. Flat ones are best for mortarless walls (and also work well in stepping stone paths). If your fieldstone is rounded, mortar may be necessary to hold the pieces together. Stone retaining walls are a distinct sub-class; they have specialized requirements that, in some cases, call for professional help.
You can order fieldstone from a home improvement center or a stone yard; either way, you'll probably have to have it delivered. It's heavy, but it's not particularly expensive if you settle for the ubiquitous local fieldstone in your area.
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08 of 08
Boulders
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Best for: Terracing, accents that need to show up from a distance
While, technically, a "boulder" is any rock that measures about a foot or more in diameter, the term, in common usage, is restricted to a rock that is too heavy for a person to move unaided.
Shape plays no part in the classification: A boulder can be rounded or can have flat sides. Boulders cut across many rock types, including granite, limestone, marble, and quartzite; cost will be dependent on rock type, as well as factors such as where you live. Available at stone yards, you'll probably need to have boulders delivered to your property. If you've hired landscapers for the installation, they'll make the necessary arrangements.
In landscaping, boulders are typically thought of as rocks so massive that they show up from a distance and/or provide structure for landscape features. For example:
- Make a big impression at a driveway entrance by flanking it with either rounded boulders or flat, pillar-like boulders. Choose a color for these accents that complements your house and/or other features in your yard.
- Placed properly, boulders retain enough soil behind them to be useful in terracing a slight slope
- Incorporate a boulder in your rock garden in a way that looks natural.
Don't just place it on the surface: Bury most of it (as you would find it in nature), leaving just enough exposed to suggest how much lies under the surface. - Flat boulders are just the kind of massive slabs that are useful in constructing sturdy outdoor steps.
- A boulder can be plumbed by a stonecutter to function as the central feature in a garden fountain
Choosing Landscaping Rock
There are four main factors to consider when buying landscaping rock: size, color, cost, and ease of use.
Small stones have a wide array of uses that simply don't apply to larger stones; for example, as mulch, because they allow for drainage. But large stones have uses that small ones don't; for example, in structural elements such as retaining walls, where stability is needed. Generally, the smaller the rocks, the better the drainage, and the larger the rocks, the greater the stability.
Color choices are more subjective. But the discriminating designer relishes opportunities to incorporate color so as to achieve matches, create interesting contrasts, etc.
Some types of rock have beautiful coloration but carry a high price tag (especially of a boulder size or if needed in great quantities) that will be prohibitive for some people. In such cases, look to plants for the colors you want, content to let less expensive landscaping rock serve as a backdrop.
Unlike many other landscaping rock projects, boulder installation is unsuited to the solo DIY'er. You will likely have to hire a professional with the equipment and expertise needed to handle such massive objects. This fact may dissuade you from landscaping with boulders if you prefer to gather your own materials, develop your own designs, and implement those designs when you undertake landscaping projects.
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Best Landscaping Rocks for Your Yard Project
by Nicki DeStasi | Updated: | 0 Comments
Landscaping
The best landscaping rocks for your yard project will vary depending on your outdoor space needs, curb appeal goals, and your landscaping ideas.
But why are millions of homeowners choosing to use rocks in their landscaping?
Not all beauty is found in greenery. Landscaping rocks are formed and polished and using them for your yard project could cut down on maintenance and conserve water. The question is, what are the best rocks for your landscaping project?
Let’s break up the rocks into which ones are best for your landscape
Best Landscaping Rocks for Your Yard ProjectUsing landscaping rocks for your yard project can improve the value of your property by making it unique. Think of a brick sidewalk to your front door, or shiny pebbles for your Zen garden. Landscaping rocks can also be functional, such as flagstone stairs leading to your hot tub or garden.
Bricks, river rocks, and flagstone are excellent for accenting flower beds. They’ll also work to create a path to a gazebo or serve as a wall around your garden. All these materials are only a stone’s-throw away.
Let’s break up the rocks into which ones are best for your landscape:
Pea Gravel
Pea gravel refers to small, rounded stones about the size of the green vegetable they’re named after and they’re already polished, thanks to mother nature.
Best Ways to Use: Pea stone is versatile. It’s used for patios, playgrounds, and firepits. It’s also ideal for framing and filling in spaces between larger landscaping stones.
Pros:
- Cost-effective and versatile.
- Doubles as weed-control and increases drainage.
Cons:
- You can’t comfortably take a barefoot stroll on your pea gravel landscaping.
- With heavy rain, it can wash away.
Cost: Pea gravel usually costs about $35 a cubic yard. If you want colored pea gravel, prepare to budget for an extra $20-50 per cubic yard.
Photo Credit: MabelAmber / NeedPix / Public domainLava Rock
Lava rock is a popular choice among homeowners. The rough, misshapen, red rocks are a bit more expensive than pea gravel but an excellent long-term investment. They
Best Ways to Use: A good replacement for mulch in flower beds or to add color to the border of a walkway.
They come in a few different colors, including red, black, and gray.
Pros:
- Doesn’t wash away.
- Retains moisture, keeps weeds and pests away, and has a long lifespan.
Cons:
- Absorbs heat and reflects light, which will increase the temperature around your plants.
- Difficult to clean. Hard to move if you change your mind. Sinks into the soil.
Cost: Lava rocks cost around $20 for a 10-lb bag.
Photo Credit: arbyreed / Flickr / CC0 Public DomainRiver Rock
Polished, rounded, and smoothed by running water, river rocks can be found near freshwater sources. Typically1 to 2 inches in diameter, they come in a variety of colors and shapes.
Best Ways to Use: Like pea stones, river rocks are versatile and best used for low-activity patios, accents, and flowerbeds. It’s especially popular with succulents and xeriscaping.
Pros:
- Excellent drainage and erosion control.
- Versatile and unique. Being small, they fit almost anywhere. Due to the wide variation in size, color, and shape, no two river rock pieces are alike.
Cons:
- Adding plants to existing beds is challenging.
- Like lava rocks, they can retain heat and be difficult to clean and move.
Cost: River rocks can be a bit pricey, ranging from $45 to $280 a ton depending on the size. But they’re a versatile landscaping rock for your yard projects.
Photo Credit: amandinacolina / PixabayFlagstone
Flagstone is broken up sedimentary rock. This natural stone has several types, including sandstone, quartzite, bluestone, and limestone. They come in two shapes: cut and irregular.
Best Ways to Use: Most popular with patios, walkways, stepping stones, and retaining walls.
Pros:
- Durable and doesn’t shift in different climates, including Arizona’s very hot and Alaska’s very cold weather
- Easy to maintain.
Just give it a sweep or a spray to clean, low maintenance.
Cons:
- Can be pricey and is labor-intensive to install.
- The surface will get very hot with high temperatures and slippery with rain.
Cost: Flagstone has several subtypes, so the price may vary depending on if you’re getting slate, limestone, or sandstone. Visit a local stone yard to find the most affordable options in your area.
Photo Credit: Pxhere / CC0 Public DomainCobblestone
Cobblestones are essentially large river rocks. They can be found in river beds and have been smoothed down by moving water and they come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. They’ve been used as paving and landscaping material since the 3rd century.
Best Ways to Use: Most commonly used in driveways and walkways, they’re also used in patios, garden borders, and water features.
Pros:
- Extremely durable. They’ve been used in paving walkways and streets since the 3rd century.
You’ll likely never need to replace them. - Unique, easy to clean, stain and weather resistant.
Cons:
- They are costly. Weigh the benefits with the cost to see if it’s right for you.
- An uneven surface can be challenging for snow removal and unsteady legs (toddlers, the elderly, and people with two left feet–like me).
Cost: Cobblestone is quite pricey, ranging from $690-$915 per 100 square feet.
Photo Credit: Pxhee / CC0 1.0Brick
Traditionally fired clay, contemporary brick now comes in all sorts of materials.
Best Ways to Use: Patios, walkways, borders, and retaining walls.
Pros:
- Durable.
- Easy to maintain, easy to wash
Cons
- Due to their shape, making unique designs can be challenging.
- Inflexible: changing, replacing, or removing bricks is not easy
Cost: The price of brick varies with the materials, but ranges from $6 to $10.
50 per square foot.
A rock garden can save you a brick load of money on landscaping. Why? It’s a bed of rocks often featuring shrubs or cactus. There’s no lawn to mow, fertilize, or water, and the porous rock allows rain to soak into the ground.
Landscaping rocks also can help prevent erosion and runoff. Several varieties will work for a rock garden, but these rocks work best for ground cover:
- Pea Gravel
- Lava Rocks
- River Rocks
If you’re using landscaping rocks for your paving project, you may want a smoother texture. Depending on the aesthetic you’re going for, you may want to use larger rocks for your driveway, walkway, or patio:
- Brick
- Flagstone
- Cobblestone
0Build the Bed
Thinking about raised garden beds or a retaining wall? Landscaping rocks can help. The rocks can give your yard a lift and create layers of beauty around the property.
You can use just about any sort of landscaping rock to build retaining walls or raised beds. It’s more about how you organize them and drainage.
- Organization: Group your landscaping rocks into large, medium, and small. You’ll build the walls of your garden bed with the large landscaping rocks at the bottom and use the smaller ones as filler and support. Depending on your design, there are different techniques for building sturdy garden bed walls.
- Drainage: For good garden bed drainage, you want to use crushed rock or pea gravel at the bottom of the bed. This will prevent the water from being trapped and drowning the leafy plants.
Photo Credit: Filipov Ivo / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0FAQ About Landscaping with Rocks
How can I use Landscaping Rocks in Creative Ways?
When it comes to landscape design, you can let your imagination run wild.
Build natural ponds or streams through the yard, or a retaining wall with plants, or accent a koi bond.
Whether building a waterfall, decorating a pond, or constructing a themed garden, it’s best to mix-up rock types. Include some boulders, use flagstone to create the base and limestone for a porous effect, and create an interesting flow of water. Look for examples at home and garden shows (and, of course, here on LawnStarter’s landscaping pages).
Do you Need to put Anything Under Landscaping Rocks?
Do you need to put anything under landscaping rocks? Technically speaking, no, but there will be consequences–just like if you don’t brush your teeth.
Although you have a few options, the most common and the most versatile is landscaping fabric. Landscaping fabric greatly reduces weed growth and plants poking in between rocks. It also prevents rocks from sinking into the soil–a common occurrence, especially with smaller rocks like pea gravel and lava rocks.
There are several types to choose from:
• Woven
• Non-woven
• Spun
• Perforated
The type you choose will depend on the type of rock you choose and your landscaping goals.
Can I get Free Landscaping Rocks?
Yes. Landscaping with rocks can get expensive, so if you’re not picky or you’re super creative, you can get free rocks from a few places.
• Construction sites: Talk to a construction crew. Chances are they have quite a few rocks that they’d be happy to hand over.
• Farms: Ask a farmer if you can help de-rock their land. Chances are they’ll readily agree to the tradeoff.
• Go rockhounding: Rockhounding is just rock collecting. Although it’s not allowed in national parks, most national forests will let you gather rocks to your heart’s content. Dry creek beds are a great place to start.
Are There Other Rocks I can Use?
The landscaping and hardscaping options are nearly limitless.
Here are a few that were left off the list and why.
• Beach pebbles: A beautiful option, but also one of the most expensive.
• Mexican beach pebbles: A popular choice for water features, but very expensive.
• Marble chips: The light reflects making them luminous, but they get very hot and damage your greenery. They also have a high pH balance and leach into the soil.
If your DIY landscaping vision is far outside your skillset (a large rock wall with water flowing down the sides into a bog garden, for example), you want expert advice, or you just don’t have the time, a professional landscaper near you can show you how to make your yard the talk of the town — and then make it so.
Sometimes people start landscaping projects and need a pro to finish the job. In this case, whether you are landscaping with flagstone, pea gravel, or boulders, a landscaping expert can come to the rescue so you’re not stuck between a rock and a hard place for long.
Main image credit: jacki-dee / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Nicki DeStasi
Nicki DeStasi is a writer, author, and teacher who grew up in western Massachusetts and currently resides in the Austin area. She enjoys flower and vegetable gardening, reading, cooking, listening to true-crime podcasts, and spending time with her husband, two children, dog, and cat.
Posts by Nicki DeStasi
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Landscape design stones: varieties and uses
Stone is a popular and relevant element of modern landscape design, which is often used in the design of suburban areas.
Landscape stone boasts the following set of advantages:
- Decorative
- Aesthetics
- Naturalness
- Environmental
- Strength
- Durability
- Utility
Landscaping stones: varieties
Granite is one of the most durable and expensive materials. It easily withstands any aggressive manifestations of the external environment, whether it be snow, rain, hail or temperature changes. Keeps an excellent appearance with a shiny surface without cracks and chips for years, can withstand high loads. Granite elements are especially appreciated for such unsurpassed stability and are widely used in alpine slides, in the design of retaining walls, in rockeries and for other landscape elements. The main colors of natural granite are white, black, red. But this stone needs to be balanced in color as its shades are very dark.
Diabase - mainly green stones with sandy veins of volcanic origin.
They can be found in purple, black or dark gray. Luxurious glossy sheen makes diabase very effective. The stone is not inferior to granite in strength: it can withstand temperature fluctuations and high static loads without damage. In design it is used as an element of rockeries, rock gardens and as a bright accent in monotonous compositions.
Dolomite is a durable stone with a rich color palette of light and warm shades. Among the variety, you will find beige, white, and greenish-gray options. Sandstone is gray, reddish, crimson or yellow. It differs from other stones in its embossed surface. Sandstone is a stone similar in properties to dolomite, but differing from it in a palette of shades.
Dolomite and sandstone are sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary rocks of stones, albeit slowly, but nevertheless are destroyed under the influence of the external environment and lose their decorative effect. The process of destruction lasts for years, but it cannot be avoided.
Therefore, when choosing sedimentary rocks as an element of landscape design, be prepared for their fragility.
Slate is a strong and resistant stone mixture of mica and quartz. The most common stones are black, gray and gray-green shades, less often - yellow, red and purple. The most valuable options are light-colored slates, which delight with their shade and shiny surface. Slate easily splits into thin plates, can be processed, therefore it is widely used in garden compositions and for cladding facades of buildings, retaining walls and rock gardens.
Jasper - bright, beautiful, opaque semi-precious stones with an amazing pattern in the form of stripes, ribbons and specks. Stones are blue, red, purple, green or gray. In oriental-style gardens, platforms and flowerpots are decorated with stone chips of jasper. A crumb of a blue tint is great for creating dry ponds. Large stones act as accent elements in rockeries and rock gardens.
Jasper flagstones are used to line retaining walls and foundations of houses. Jasper is not afraid of the impact of the external environment and does not lose the intensity of the shade over time.
Quartzite - smooth shiny stones based on quartz sandstones. The main color is grey. It is most often found in nature. The rarest species is crimson quartzite, which can only be found in the Onega region. The palette of this type has many shades of pink, raspberry or red. Quartzite looks luxurious on sunny days, when its smooth surface reflects the sun, creating playful highlights, and inclusions of minerals shimmer with all sorts of shades. Valued for its incredible strength and decorative effect.
Serpentine is a hard and durable rock with an amazing color that varies from dark green to light green. Looks great in rock gardens and in the design of artificial reservoirs. Large serpentine stones can become accent elements of a landscape composition.
Migmatite - when you look at this stone, it seems as if it comes from some unknown planet: an amazing pattern of multi-colored stripes from dark blue to rusty and sandy, painstakingly created by nature itself, and a relief of furrows and depressions create an incredible decorative effect . Migmatite is a durable material that can be used without fear in paving paths and as an artistic element in landscape compositions.
Limestone is not recommended for landscaping - it is a soft material that breaks down quickly on contact with soil and water. Dissolving, it penetrates into the soil, increasing its Ph (salinization occurs). Under such conditions, it is difficult for plants to absorb nutrients, even if fertilizers are applied in a timely and systematic manner.
Stones in landscape design: a selection of interesting solutions
Paths
Paving with stones will become not only a stylish element, but also a practical solution.
In modern landscape design, both step-by-step and main paths are made of stone. For paving the main paths, wild flat stone is often used, and for step-by-step paths, special slabs of granite or sandstone are used. The modern assortment of stones offers a large selection of such slabs: you can find large-sized, aged, and various shapes. When paving the main path, do not use backfill, crumbs or small pebbles. These stones will get stuck in the soles of your shoes and spread throughout the area, creating an untidy garden look.
Retaining walls
Retaining walls are a necessary element of areas where there is a slope. On the one hand, they strengthen the soil, and on the other hand, they become a decorative design element, allowing you to create multi-level gardens. If the elevation difference on the site is large, then you need to build a retaining wall that will protect against landslides. Cover its foundation with thin plates of natural stone to make this complex engineering structure a stunning decorative element.
An excellent design solution would be to veneer the foundation of the house and the retaining wall with the same stone. Thus, the landscape will be harmonious. If the difference is small, then you can immediately use the stone. Choose suitable wild stones in the store, stack on top of each other, creating a unique landscape on your site. Such walls can also be erected for decorative purposes: to construct a fence, create a multi-level garden or decorate a slope. Pay attention to the restrictions on the height of retaining walls without a foundation. Such walls cannot be designed too high.
Rockery
Rockery is a composition of stones and plants on a plane. From the outside, it seems as if you are deceiving nature - plants grow directly from stones. But in reality, all it takes is a bit of good planning. Any coniferous or flowering plants are suitable for rockeries, and choose stones so that they are combined with other stone elements on the site: building cladding or paths.
Rock garden (alpine slide)
A rock garden is a composition of stones and plants that imitates natural alpine landscapes: the slopes and gorges, decorated with vegetation, remind you of traveling to the mountains. The right rock garden, as a rule, needs a large area and plants from the alpine area, which in the middle lane must be carefully looked after, and some even shelter for the winter.
Dry waters
A dry reservoir - a dry pond or a dry stream - is a stylish and unusual element of the landscape. Artificial recesses in the ground are covered with bluish, grayish and white stones, imitating a river or a pond. Plants are planted along the banks. You can install a decorative bridge or organize a “green” island with coniferous and flowering plants, adding credibility to the landscape. Such a pond looks amazing, especially with thoughtful lighting.
Czech rolling pin
The Czech rolling pin is an imitation of real rocks using flat stones laid at an angle to the ground.
Plants are planted between groups of such stones, creating amazing compositions that are so pleasant to admire. To make the Czech rolling pin especially decorative, try playing with shades of plants that will emphasize the relief of the composition.
Rock garden
The rock garden is a gift from Japanese culture: a composition of unhewn stones arranged in a certain order on gravel. Sometimes coniferous or deciduous plants are added, emphasizing the severity of the stone. As a rule, the background for such a composition is gravel dumping, which is laid out in colors, imitating waves. This garden is ideal for those who love peace and privacy or appreciate Japanese heritage. In order to create such a garden, you need to delve into its philosophy and understand all the subtleties.
Gabions
Gabions are the most flexible stone construction, with many uses ranging from fences and firewood to small figurines. It is a frame made of metal mesh, the base of which is filled with stones.
Recreation area and fireplace
No homestead is complete without a recreation area. Decorating it with stone is a great move. Firstly, this is a stylish solution, and secondly, the stone will keep the neat appearance of the territory for a long time, interfering with the growth of weeds. Lay out a stone platform, install several benches or chairs, and put an interesting-shaped fire bowl in the center, and a cozy corner for relaxing with family and friends is ready.
Size and shape matter
Landscape stones have the following classification:
- Lump — stone up to 50 cm in diameter with faceted, sharp edges.
- Boulder is a rounded stone up to 50 cm in diameter.
- Cobblestone — stone up to 20-50 cm in diameter, rounded. Dumping (crushed stone) - a mass of crushed stones with sharp edges 5-10 cm in diameter.
- Pebbles — flat-rounded stones.
Pebbles are divided by origin: river and sea. In industrial conditions, pebbles are made from granite, marble and quartzite. Pebble size is determined using fractions. So, for example, pebbles of fraction 2-4 means that this stone mass will contain round stones from 2 to 4 cm in diameter. Pebbles fraction 5-10 means that there will be stones from 5 to 10 cm in diameter. - Crushed is the smallest form of crushed natural stone. Usually it is a marble crumb.
- Slabs are free-form natural stone slabs that are approximately uniform in thickness. The thickness of flagstone varies from 10 mm to 70 mm.
- Rubble stones are small stones of rocks that are mined in quarries or in the mountains.
In landscape design, you can use any size. Boulders and cobblestones will harmoniously fit into an alpine hill, cobblestones will decorate flower beds and become the basis for a retaining wall, pebbles will be suitable for creating an integral space of a recreation area.
How to properly use landscape stone on the site?
1. Create a project. In order for stone to become an integral part of your landscape relief, it is necessary to think over the concept and design, taking into account the size of the site, the location of the main buildings and the style. A marble five-meter Apollo will look comical in a small area with a wooden house, and a miniature rockery will simply get lost surrounded by huge pine trees.
2. Calculate the required amount of stone . This is one of the most important tasks: if you buy less stone than you need, you will have to buy more. And to find exactly the same natural stone is not always possible. And you can accidentally buy more than you need. Given the cost of some types of stone, this is at least not economical.
3. Place the stone correctly. Properly laid stone is pleasing to the eye and does not cause any problems. But laying errors not only “lubricate” the decorative effect of the entire composition, but can also cause damage to plants.
At best, the stone element will need to be removed or relocated. At worst, the plants will have to be replaced.
4. Take into account the peculiarities of style. A competent combination of species will help emphasize the beauty of the plantations, and the logical repetition of the selected combinations throughout the site will allow you to decorate the landscape in a certain style, avoiding the effect of fragmentation.
5. Maintain level. Sometimes, the stone element turns out to be crooked. This is due to the fact that initially the shrinkage of the structure was not taken into account or the surface on which it was installed was improperly prepared. Even more often there are cases when the stone elements did not coincide in level with the lawn. Such errors are striking and make the site sloppy, even if it is a very expensive material surrounded by luxurious plants.
The choice of material and landscape solution is completely dependent on the taste and wishes of the customer.
The stone adds relief, uniqueness, reflects the individuality of the customer and helps to create a design full of harmony.
If you want to create a landscape project for your site quickly and professionally, we invite you to the landscape studio of our garden center. Professional designers will bring to life any of your ideas, consider zoning, help you choose plants and materials: your beautiful garden will delight you for years and delight your guests.
More about landscape design.
Decorative stone in garden design - assortment, uses
Natural stone is one of the most versatile materials for creating a garden landscape. As part of nature, it blends perfectly with plants and water, adding texture and contrast, providing a durable finish and virtually maintenance free.
How to use crushed stone, pebbles, cobblestones, small boulders and large monoliths to decorate the garden, let's consider the example of completed landscape design projects.
In the East, stone is considered the personification of the greatness and perfection of nature - and it is hard to disagree with this
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Choosing a stone for a garden
, size, beautifully shade plants. What do landscape designers advise about this?
- White marble suitable for a regular style, indispensable for front areas. In addition, it will lighten the shady corners of the garden.
- Stone bark (gneiss) looks great in natural style gardens.
- Stones of sand and terracotta colors will give the landscape a warm Mediterranean touch.
- Stone in gray and anthracite shades is suitable for a modern minimalist landscape.
- The small fraction of crushed stone and pebbles is better combined with herbs and flowers, large cobblestones - with shrubs and trees.
- The brighter the flowers, the more restrained the filling should be, shading them, while a large monolith itself can be an accent, and plants can be its background.
In a properly composed composition, the stones look as if they have always been there
Decorative crushed stone and pebbles
The smallest fraction of the stone is represented by crushed stone and pebbles. Crushed stone is obtained by crushing rocks, pebbles - by crushing and rounding in special drums, as a result of which the pebbles become smooth.
The main purpose of decorative gravel in the garden is backfilling of garden paths, near-stem circles of trees and shrubs, paving pockets, part of the lawn space.
To make it comfortable to walk on the gravel, a walking path of slabs was laid on top of it.
The second most important function of the gravel in the garden is soil mulching. While organic mulch will need to be renewed every year, stone will last a very long time. So that the material does not go into the ground, geotextiles are laid under it. In this form, the soil in the garden will always be moist and loose, and weeds will not be able to break through to the surface.
An example of mulching a garden with gravel
Another purpose of crushed stone is to imitate rock scree in alpine hills and rockeries. In this case, the same breed is selected as large blocks, so that the composition looks organic.
Crushed stone at the base of the hill repeats the color and texture of boulders
Decorative pebbles are also used for backfilling. If you have plants that you would like to draw attention to, surround them with beautiful large pebbles. The stone will serve as a frame against which the effect of a "living sculpture" appears.
A vivid demonstration of the last thesis
Since pebbles are formed in nature under the influence of water, they are almost always used in the construction of artificial reservoirs - they are laid on the bottom, imitating a shallow, framing the coastline.
Decorating a garden pond with stones and pebbles
Small gravel and pebbles are an excellent base for a container garden.
By installing garden flowerpots and flower pots on the backfill, you can safely water them from a watering can or make them part of stationary watering. Excess water through the holes in the bottom will go into the gravel and then into the soil and will not damage the paving slabs or decking.
Container garden on crushed stone dump
Decorative cobblestone
Cobblestones are rounded stones 50-100 mm in size, sometimes a little more.
In garden design, they are used to fill landscape compositions of coniferous trees and shrubs with large leaves, decorate ponds, rock gardens, and frame flower beds. The largest specimens (100–300 mm) look interesting as an independent decoration, for example, on a lawn.
Large white marble pebbles beautifully set off boxwood bushes
But most often, cobblestones are used to fill gabions. Rectangular mesh structures filled with stones look spectacular as retaining walls, fences, curbs. Gabions in the form of a ball or other figures are used to decorate the garden.
Gabion as an element of terrace fencing
And as a way to design a recreation area
Landscaping project
garden design from Sad-dizain
Details
Small boulders and blocks
Small squat stones are called boulders or blocks. In shape, they can be either smooth, rounded, or resemble a natural rock fragment.
Most often they are used to create alpine slides in the form of a rocky slope, ravine, mountain stream, plateau. To make the rock garden look natural, blocks of different sizes are combined, and to imitate rock scree, they are supplemented with large and small gravel.
The highlight of this rocky composition is clipped boxwood bushes imitating boulders.
Single boulders, located next to low trees and shrubs, emphasize the naturalness of the composition, soften the impression of the “man-made” landscape. But for this to work, the stone is chosen so that it looks like a part of the surrounding landscape, not knocked out of it by too bright coloring or inappropriate texture.
An example of the harmony of stone and plants
In small areas, instead of an alpine hill, miniature compositions are often created, consisting of one stone and 1–2 plants. They act as focal points and look great on the lawn, stone fill, paving.
A small boulder framed by a yew attracts the eye
Frozen music: monoliths in landscape design
Monoliths are a special category of decorative stones. Due to their large size and interesting shape, they resemble sculpture, so they are always used as a central decoration.
Single-standing monoliths and compositions from a group of stones are complemented by plants that, on the one hand, emphasize their beauty, and on the other hand, do not get lost against their background. Evergreen and coniferous shrubs, ornamental grasses look interesting with large stones.
The texture of the sandstone and its warm tone blend harmoniously with the bright green needles.
Exclusive monoliths of the original shape and color can be used at all without anything or with a minimum amount of vegetative framing.
